Improved tanning process



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JAY JOHNSON, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVED TANNING PROCESS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,688, dated March 18,1862.

To all whom it may come: n:

Be it known that I, JOHN JAY JOHNSON, near Kalamazoo, in the county ofKalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented a new and improvedprocess for tanning and coloring skins with or without the wool, hair,or fur on them; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof.

The advantage of my improvement in tanning and coloring hides is that itrequires no preparation before or after tanning, (for light hides,) andsaves three-fourths of the time, three-fourths of the expense, andthree-fourths of the labor, making stronger leather than can be made bythe old and slowv process of tanning. I call my process the ExcelsiorTanning Process.

To enable othersskilled in the art to use my invention, I will proceedto describe it and the operation connected with it.

When I tan light hides with the wool, fur, or: hair on them -such assheep, fox, coon, or mink skins, &c.I first soak, flesh, and clean themin the usual manner. 1 then make a solution in the followingproportions: To one-half bushel wheat-bran add six gallons of soft hotwater, and let it stand in a warm room. Agitate until it ferments. Thenstrain out the liquor and dissolve therein four pounds chloride ofsodium, or common salt. Then add one and a half pound sulphuric acid oroil of vitriol while agitating it to make the whole blend together. Thissolution or liquor will give no color of itself, but may act as amordant for setting a variety of colors, which are cheap and moredurable than if made in the usual manner of sponging colors aftertanning. Light hides require to be handled from one to two hours. Thenrinse and hang out to dry in the shade. When nearly dry oil or stuffthem, as hereinafter described. Then let them dry.

For hides that require the hair or wool taken oif,I makea liquor asfollows: To ten gallons of soft water add one-fourth bushel slaked lime,also one-fourth bushel wood-ashes. Handle twice each day until the haircomes off. This process absorbs the grease and raises the hide, whichgives the tan-liquor free circulation, causing quicker work, andconsequently stronger leather. Then I make a bate as follows: To tengallons soft water add one-half bushel bran-liquor, as above stated, andonehalf pound of oil of vitriol. Bate from one to two days. Agitate thepool twice each day. Then work out the hides over the beam. Then putthem in the liquor, as described above, adding, if a shade is required,two pounds dissolved japonica. Handle twice each day until tanned. days.

I use for stuffing light or heavy hides, first, fish-oil and alcohol,one-third alcohol to twothirds oil. Then thicken with flour-paste-suchas is used for papering rooms-and melted tallow, equal parts. To makethe above waterproof add india-rubber or beeswax.

I do not claim the ingredients named in this process for tanning andtawing in any proportion, combination, or order substantially differentfrom those above described, as I am aware that most or all of them havebeen employed in various ways in different processes of tanning andtawing; but A What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The employment of the liquor compounded of fermented bran, water, commonsalt, and sulphuric acid, substantially in the proportions and mannerspecified, and its combination with the solution of lime and wood-ashesin water, and with the stuffing of fish-oil, alcohol, flour-paste, andtallow, substantially in the proportions and manner herein set forth.

JOHN JAY JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. CHRISTIAN, DAVID BICKER.

The time required is from two to four

